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David Ortiz: Yankees lost "the face" of team in Robinson Cano

David Ortiz (left) and Robinson Cano have been known to get chummy on the field. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

There was another winner in the Robinson Cano signing besides the Seattle Mariners, according to David Ortiz — his Boston Red Sox.

Ortiz told WEEI in Boston on Friday that the defending World Series champs can only benefit from the Yankees losing their best player and "the face" of their team, calling it "great news for us."

"This guy hurt us," Ortiz said. "He is the guy that, you're never going to forget about him because he puts up some monster numbers. He puts up some monster numbers. Now let's see how everything goes with him on the West Coast."

Ortiz and Cano are both natives of the Dominican Republic and are known to have a strong friendship.

Ortiz said he wasn't surprised by the length or amount of Cano's deal, but rather that the Yankees didn't re-sign him.

"That's what the players are getting," Ortiz said of Cano's $240-million deal, which is tied for the third largest in baseball history. "Young, talented players with the skills that he has, that's what they're getting. I couldn't believe the Yankees let that walk away. He's the face, as long as he played for the Yankees, he was the face of that ballclub. He was backing up everybody.

"He makes the game look so easy. ... Now, we're not going to be able to see him that much, thank God. He's going to the West Coast. Wishing him the best. He's a good friend of mine, and like I said, well deserved."

Cano is a career .308 hitter against Boston with 21 home runs and 104 RBIs in 156 games, which pretty closely match his 162-game averages of .309, 24 and 97.